Test flying weekend

On Saturday Fredrik and I drove to Sundvollen in hope of some ridge soaring, the weather forecast was pretty good. At takeoff the students were ready and got their first flights while we set up and got ready. I tried a Airwave Calypso intermediate glider that could be interesting for a new pilot. The glider had double sourface, and otherwise quite standard layout. It was in good shape, with a few taped over scratches in the leading edge, and big wheels fittet to the bottombar. Nice on takeoff and landing, and very good handling.

I had borrowed Bjørn Hammer’s old WillsWing Fusion, and we agreed on a glide contest to Vik with Fredrik on the U2, and El Loco on his Litespeed. I had some problems with the VG, and flew with a knee-hanger harness, so the pilot was far from optimal. The Litespeed was the clear winner, U2 second, and since I had to wait for half an hour for launchable air I got tailwind on the glide. I declared the Fusion to have the worst glide since I only came a little further than the U2.

We packed up on the ice at Vik next to the model flyers, also packing up their gear in the setting sun, and had dinner at the Cafe. El Loco stayed over at my place in Oslo. We had a few beers, wathched lots of HG videos, packed an old emergency ‘chute, and flew the living room UFO stationed in my apartement.

Sunday was forecasted more wind, so naturally the only wind we got was a weak tailwind that persisted through the whole day, until the catabatic flow made it strong when the sun set. Some pilots took off in periods with nil wind, we were too slow setting up and missed the good periods.

Fredrik and Bjørn went out to ridge soar today, only to expirience too strong and gusty conditions.